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Environment Tokyo government to cut thousands of old trees for Mitsui Fudosan's Jingu Gaien project

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Unfortunately, this doesn't get as much local media attention as it should: Mitsui Fudosan's project to redevelop Jingu Gaien, an area designated for mandated landscape preservation, has been approved by the Tokyo Metropolitan government.

The project includes
  • the relocation of the Meiji Jingu stadium
  • the relocation of the Chichibunomiya Rugby stadium
  • the felling of 971 trees, some of which are over 100 years old
  • the construction of a 190-metre tall skyscraper
  • the construction of a shopping mall (!) and other commercial facilities

Even the Japan ICOMOS National Committee, an advisory body of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), has called for an urgent overhaul. Yet, Tokyo governor Koike Yuriko has approved the project. Although the Tokyo Metropolitan government pledged to plant 979 trees to replace those zelkova, camphor and ginkgo trees slated to be cut down, the project has drawn a lot of flak. Last Monday, NHK aired a surprisingly critical chat show that had nothing good to say about the entire project.

American consultant Rochelle Kopp started a Change.org petition urging TMG to reconsider the development plans. Sign if you love trees more than shopping centres! I do, and I did.


What Tokyo doesn't need: more shopping centres.

jingu-gaien-shopping-centre.jpg

From Mitsui Fudosan's project site


Here's the official project website of Mitsui Fudosan:


An animation depicting the planned "development":




Great project overview via Tokyo Weekender:



Yahoo News on the project:

 
I'm curious, are shopping malls still a popular place to go in Japan? They are dying off in the US as more people shop online. I have been to shopping malls in Japan, and the last time I was there I noticed that most of the people there were older and likely in a group that would not generally shop online. There also weren't that many people there at all, though I didn't notice any empty store fronts like you would see at a mall in the US. Some in the US have more empty store fronts then open stores.
 
The giant mall here in South Portland is almost dead for about 5 years now. All the big brand name stores left and the few small ones left come and go. Mostly just teens there now for somewhere to hang out.
 
It seems Gov. Koike has started to backpedal:

Governor Koike emphasized that "the key is to gain the sympathy and participation of the citizens of Tokyo."

 
I'm curious, are shopping malls still a popular place to go in Japan? They are dying off in the US as more people shop online. I have been to shopping malls in Japan, and the last time I was there I noticed that most of the people there were older and likely in a group that would not generally shop online. There also weren't that many people there at all, though I didn't notice any empty store fronts like you would see at a mall in the US. Some in the US have more empty store fronts then open stores.
Keep in mind there are about 25 million people in that region so I don't think it will get to the state of desolation like you see in the U.S. I haven't been to rural Japan in a while so I don't know the situation there.
 
Oh, how wonderful -- another redevelopment project that will suck the history and lifeblood out of one of Tokyo's most iconic and delightful venues/neighborhoods and turn it into just another cookie-cutter, look-alike commercial district for the always admirable goal of further lining the pockets of wealthy general contractors and real-estate developers.

It's a shame that they couldn't expand the scope a bit so they could also force people out of their homes in neighboring residential districts (though I guess they got rid of the low-income/low-rent apartment buildings when they built the Olympic stadium, so their job was already done in that sense).
 
Keep in mind there are about 25 million people in that region so I don't think it will get to the state of desolation like you see in the U.S. I haven't been to rural Japan in a while so I don't know the situation there.
That's true and to be honest both of the malls I have been to in Japan were in Nara. One was the Kintetsu mall in Nara city and the other was Aeon which was in a rural area. Both are far less populated than Tokyo.
 
Some updates on the Jingu Gaien redevelopment project: according to a poll conducted by the Tokyo Shinbun, 69.5% of the participants oppose the plan while just 5.7% are in favour.




A computer graphic simulation has been created showing the planned Jingu Gaien redevelopment from various angles. Makes it clear what a monstrosity it is, and how out of scale and out of place it is. Worth checking out.

 
Some movement in the Jingu Gaien redevelopment project: according to an environmental assessment report submitted by Mitsui Fudosan, 400 trees might be spared the axe after the plan drew an objection from a UNESCO entity.

The report included a new plan to reduce the number of trees to be felled in the district from 971 to 556. When the initial plan was submitted, the Japan ICOMOS National Committee, an advisory body of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, called for an urgent overhaul of the project that would have felled about 70 percent of the trees in one of the few areas with greenery in the capital. After the initial plan was made public, members of the metropolitan government's environmental assessment council asked the developers to present an explanation for the number of trees to be cut down. That was an unusual move that delayed the schedule of deliberations by the council.

 
For those of you patient enough to watch a 75-minute panel discussion, there's a video of Rochelle Kopp presenting the Jingu Gaien redevelopment controversy at Temple University.

A talk with Rochelle Kopp, moderated by Robert Dujarric (November 28th, 2022) The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has given the go-ahead for a major redevelopment of Jingu Gaien, the cluster of sports facilities and green space adjacent to the National Stadium in Sendagaya. The project has recently become a focus of attention in Tokyo, with many people from across the political spectrum speaking out with concerns about the project. The redevelopment plan is made possible by a loosening of height restrictions in the area that was implemented in conjunction with the Olympics, and former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori was involved in conceptualization of the plan. The redevelopment will eliminate nearly a thousand trees, two historic stadiums and several public sports facilities, and put in three high rise office buildings. In this presentation activist Rochelle Kopp will describe the various concerns and issues related to the Jingu Gaien redevelopment project and how she and some other activists and academics are speaking out against the plan and urging that Governor Koike withdraw it and start over with input from the public and experts.

 
Tomorrow, Sunday, Mrs Kopp will organise a demonstration walk in Jingu Gaien:

We are meeting at 12:30 at the entrance to ginkgo avenue at Aoyama Dori, on the East side (the side nearest to Aoyama 1-Chome station). From there, we will walk towards the rugby stadium to interact with people attending the game. So if you are late, meet us over there. We will be demonstrating until 2 pm. We are protesting the redevelopment plans to destroy 1000 trees and two historic stadiums, replacing them with high-rise buildings and a shopping mall. We will be soliciting signatures on the three petitions to revise the development plans and preserve the stadiums. This stadium and the ones calling for the protection of Jingu Stadium and the Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium (if you have not signed these two new petitions, please do so!) You can print a placard at 7-11 using the code ZJE4LKDJ or make your own! (But ok to come without a placard). No RSVP is necessary, But here is the Facebook event page for your reference: Diet member Hajime Funada, head of the 27-member cross-party Diet member group calling for a revision of the Jingu Gaien redevelopment plan, will be joining us!



 
This Sunday will see another demonstration to protest the construction preparations at Jingu Gaien:

jingu-gaien-demonstration.jpg


On January 30th, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government approved the developers' application to start construction. Despite the fact that the Environmental Assessment Committee is continuing its deliberations in the face of various unresolved problems with the environmental assessment. These include lack of a clear assurance that the construction of the baseball stadium just a few meters away will not kill the iconic gingko trees, increased noise for residents of a nearby Tokyo public apartment complex due to the new siting of the baseball stadium, and a 48 page analysis by Professor Ishikawa on behalf of the UNESCO affiliated International Council on Monuments and Sites showing significant flaws in the data used by the developers to create the environmental assessment report.

Demonstration in Jingu Gaien this Sunday -- protest the construction preparations
 
Last Monday, Mrs Koike defended the project in a Q&A session at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan. According to Mrs Kopp, she used "Trump-like strategies:"

As usual, Koike's answers were slippery and either outright incorrect or twisting the facts. In several cases, she used the Trump-like strategy of giving a simple answer, such as "the amount of greenery is increasing!", which is not actually true if you look at the details, but the simpler answer sticks in people's minds better than the more complicated actuality. I appreciate that the moderator followed up and asked harder questions. I hope that at some point there will be an opportunity to force her to answer even more detailed questions about the Jingu Gaien project.



Below is Mrs Kopp's summary of the topics raised, Governor Koike's responses, and Mrs Kopp's rebuttal.

 
Update by Mrs Kopp: apparently, the project was approved last Friday. And it turned out that not 1,000 but 3,000 trees will be cut down. :(

Based on the submission by the developers, it turns out they plan to cut not the original 1000 expected, but actually 3000. Details here in this article. And that's not covering all the areas. Shinjuku Ward Assembly Member Ayumi Sawada says the total number of trees to be cut down is likely going to be in the tens of thousands.



It seems Mrs Koike wants to enter the annals of history as Tokyo's tree killer: Outrage online increased further when Nikkan Gendai and SMART FLASH reported on Monday that the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is moving forward with a plan to redevelop the aquarium at Kasai Marine Park. The plan involves cutting down 1400 trees and putting up a grove of solar panels instead.


 
Another demonstration took place today. Good to see there's still civic resistance. The mayor of Shinjuku needs to grant permission to cut down trees in accordance with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Landscape Preservation Area Ordinance. In a Shinjuku Ward Assembly meeting on 23 February, he remained silent when asked about his stance on the project.


According to Mrs Kopp, the total number of trees slated to be felled could be more than 10,000.


 
It seems Mrs Koike wants to enter the annals of history as Tokyo's tree killer: Outrage online increased further when Nikkan Gendai and SMART FLASH reported on Monday that the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is moving forward with a plan to redevelop the aquarium at Kasai Marine Park. The plan involves cutting down 1400 trees and putting up a grove of solar panels instead.
I'm sure it will be well worth it to her personally. Hell, I'd be happy to be called a tree killer for a few million dollars in my bank account too.
 
As Mrs Koike has given her final approval to the Jingu Gaien redevelopment project, concerned citizens have decided to sue the Tokyo Metropolitan government to stop the Jingu Gaien redevelopment. We know how this will end in court, but it's noble of them to put up legal resistance.

Jingu Gaien Project


On February 17, Governor Koike gave final approval to the Jingu Gaien redevelopment project, despite calls from many citizens, experts and others to revise the plan and preserve the area's historical landscape and environment. So our year-long struggle is now entering the next step.

Approximately 60 citizens, including residents and experts from various fields, submitted a lawsuit to the Tokyo District Court on February 28 to rescind the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's approval of the Jingu Gaien redevelopment plan. I (Rochelle Kopp) am the lead plaintiff.

Links to news coverage can be found in the Japanese version of this update.

The following is an overview of the lawsuit contents and information on how to participate as a plaintiff or a supporter.

Thcriticaley issues raised in the lawsuit are:

(1) The redevelopment project of Jingu Gaien will significantly disturb the landscape, including the rows of ginkgo trees, and will cause severe damage to the diverse ecosystem and environment of Jingu Gaien.

(2) The environmental impact assessment conducted before the approval of the redevelopment project was found to be seriously flawed, with insufficient information disclosure by the developer and false information in the report.

(3) Tokyo's Machizukuri (town development) policy makes the redevelopment project possible. However, how it is being applied deviates from the laws on urban planning and is thus illegal.

(4) The project will damage the historical and cultural value of Jingu Gaien and cause various harm to the surrounding residents, such as loss of scenery rights, increase in noise, wind damage, and loss of the right to sunshine. In addition, the 13-year construction period will cause long-term inconvenience and disadvantages to residents.

In parallel to the prominent lawsuit, we have also requested an injunction on further construction while the case is pending.

The main plaintiffs include the following:

Rochelle Kopp (online petition initiator and management consultant)

Robert Whiting (baseball sportswriter)

Toshikawa Asuka (Professor at Tohoku University, specialist in climate change)

Kohei Saito (Associate Professor, University of Tokyo, economic thinker)

Masayoshi Takeuchi (Architect, Professor at Tohoku University of Art & Design)

Ririan Ono (Fashion model and climate activist)

Hara Yuho (high school student, FFF Yokosuka)

Residents of the Jingu Gaien area

Call for additional plaintiff.fs

The prominent lawsuit seeking to overturn the project's approval is open to additional plaintiffs. If you want to become a plaintiff and protect Jingu Gaien, please join us. If you become a plaintiff, you will receive an invitation to plaintiffs' meetings and progress updates. The plaintiffs' names and other personal information will be kept confidential and will not be made public.

We ask that each plaintiff make a minimum contribution toward litigation costs of 5,000 yen. Any amount over 5,000 yen per unit will be considered a donation. Expenses will cover actual costs such as revenue stamp fees, legal fees, and other litigation activities.

Please note that your participation as a plaintiff will be for the period until the district court's first trial decision is rendered. If you wish to continueparticipatinge as a plaintiff during any appeal, we will ask you to make a new donation to help cover the expenses. Please note that if you are not a resident of the neighbourhood immediately adjacent to Jingu Gaien, you may be found to be ineligible to be a plaintiff during the trial based on past judicial precedents.

If you are interested in becoming a plaintiff, please click on the link below to register, and we will send you information about how to complete your application.


Call for supporters (donors)

If you are not interested in becoming a plaintiff but would like to support this lawsuit by donation, we welcome you as a supporter. Donations from supporters will be used to cover the lawsuit's costs and help raise funds for related campaigns. Supporters will receive progress updates. Donations will be used to pay for the following activities: - Lawsuit-related expenses such as legal fees - Actual expenses such as revenue stamps for plaintiffs' participation - Publicity activities such as holding lawsuit-related events and website management - Other expenses related to the actions.

If you are interested in becoming a supporter (donor), please click the link below to register,r and we will send you information about how to donate.


Please understand that there may be a slight time lag between the time you register as a plaintiff or supporter, as the secretariat will send you the information above by e-mail rather than an automatic reply.

While holding our press conference about the lawsuit on February 28th, Shinjuku Ward approved the developers' application to cut down 3,000 trees. We are considering a case against Shinjuku Ward to have the approval revoked.

The road ahead may be long, but we will do our utmost to save Jingu Gaien. Thank you very much for your support.



 
More news, more resistance:

Renowned Japanese composer and musician Ryuichi Sakamoto sent a letter to Tokyo Gov Yuriko Koike voicing opposition to a redevelopment plan to see two historic sports venues demolished and hundreds of trees torn out, saying, "the trees should not be sacrificed."




"Each person has a vision of where they want to live, and this vision is shared to shape the city," the 71-year-old, who is battling stage IV cancer, said in a recent written interview with Kyodo News. [...] In a letter sent to Koike earlier this month, Sakamoto, who founded and leads the forest conservation organization More Trees, called for the project to be suspended and reviewed, saying "We should not sacrifice the precious trees of Jingu that our ancestors spent 100 years protecting and nurturing just for quick economic gain." Sakamoto said he felt inspired to write the letter by those who protested against the redevelopment just before it was granted approval by the metropolitan government. "As a citizen, I could not remain silent," he said. [...] "Shouldn't it be made common knowledge to the citizens of Tokyo what kind of vision the governor has for the city's urban planning?" he added. The composer, who has spent more time in Tokyo as a result of his ongoing treatment, said he feels nostalgic when visiting the Jingu Gaien area. Sakamoto lamented that he could not do more to "spread the word or take action beyond sending letters," as his "energy and physical strength have both declined to the point where it is difficult to even produce music."




Meanwhile, Mrs Kopp will organise a human chain around the trees in danger on Saturday at Jingu Mae at 14:30.


We will gather at Jingu Gaien in the afternoon of Saturday, April 1, and join hands to create a human chain to protect the "Kenkoku Kinen Bunko no Mori". Please join us!

Human Chain Demo
Saturday, April 1, 2023
14:30- Gather at the north side of the Kenkoku Kinen Bunko no Mori, by the National Stadium. (See the map above, also here is a link to the location of the forest National Foundation Memorial Archives · 2-3 Kasumigaokamachi, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 160-0013, Japan)
15:00- Join hands to form a human chain around the forest.
16:00 Dismissal

If possible, please wear green clothing!

Facebook event page
https://www.facebook.com/events/619362333355792?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22surface%22%3A%22group%22%7D]%7D
 
Asahi ponders why it took an American resident (Mrs Kopp) to initiate a petition against the project.

"Citizens were not adequately informed about the process behind the redevelopment plan," contends Tatsu Matsuda, an associate professor of architecture and urban planning at Shizuoka University of Art and Culture. Matsuda griped that Japan provides its citizens with few opportunities to participate in the creation of urban planning. Only two weeks are set aside after a plan is disclosed for people to submit their opinions, and it is not always clear whether their views are even taken into consideration. "The process for reaching an agreement is inadequate," Matsuda said. This, he said, is in sharp contrast to European nations like France and Switzerland, which offer a wide range of opportunities for residents to express their views on public works projects, including debate and referendums.

What I wasn't aware of were the (tax-free) business interests of the Meiji shrine:


Meiji Shrine also stands to benefit enormously from the project because it will, in effect, be the landlord of not only the baseball stadium, but also the two high-rise buildings. However, shrine officials have avoided giving any information on how much in rent they were expecting from the redevelopment project.



In April, Prof Ishikawa Mikiko compared the project to building skyscrapers in New York's Central Park:

 
Copied and pasted from Rochelle Kopp's post on Facebook.

Demo at Jingu Gaien this Sunday 6/25 at 2 pm!
The tree chopping is scheduled to start soon, so we are protesting.
(Important: even though they are planning to start cutting some of the trees, the project approval is in steps and most have yet to be approved. So it's not a lost cause, and the more noise we can make now the harder it is for them to get additional approvals. Plus enough media attention could stop this first batch of cutting.)
We will meet in front of the Olympic symbol statue https://goo.gl/maps/z721o1gVFJx3Z7QU6
Details here: https://www.change.org/.../protect-jingu.../u/31692941...
Also, more information here at our petition, please sign it if you haven't yet: Sign the Petition
 
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